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How OU junior Ella Parker keeps finding ways to get better, showcasing her defense this season

Bob Przybyloby: Bob Przybylo05/15/26BPrzybylo

That was not a misprint when it came to OU junior Ella Parker. Yes, it was absolutely no shock to anybody that Parker was named First Team All-SEC. She has been one of the best clutch players in the country since she arrived.

But that All-Defensive Team nod? Really? That was legitimate, too. Parker, who suffered through shin splints as a sophomore, never got to show anybody what she could do in the field.

That has all changed this season. Playing right field, Parker has been one of the pleasant surprises for OU. Her ability to play the outfield has given head coach Patty Gasso so many options and so much flexibility as to how to construct the lineup.

“She was kind of ‘What do I need to do to get on the field’ and we talked about it,” Gasso told SoonerScoop. “She really worked on strengthening her arm is probably the thing that I saw the most but she back then was having those shin-splint problems that we wanted to keep her off the field but now she’s feeling much better, she’s moving really well, tracking balls down really well. I feel very, very confident with her there and I think she feels that as well.”

Parker has made some nice running grabs down the line, in the gap. And she has thrown out multiple runners at the plate. It’s a credit to Parker to look within herself and ask what more could she do for the team?

She could have easily just been content about being a huge bat, maybe the best bat in the OU lineup. That could have been enough. Instead, she has become as steady defensively as she is a threat offensively.

“It’s super fun in the outfield just having two people that are super competitive and great with their defense,” senior Abby Dayton said. “I mean I’ve seen Ella grow up since she was 10, so I always knew that she could do this and I was excited to see that she made All-Defensive team. But yeah, it’s cool to see how much she has developed over the last two years, obviously, with the shin splints and everything like that. But she’s always had that in her.

“She’s always had that competitiveness and so she was just like, put me on the field. She didn’t care where she played. And so being able to see her in right field making all these great plays, throwing people out, it’s just been so fun to root for her. And I’m so happy she got defensive team. She deserved every bit of that.”

OU begins play in the Norman Regional as the No. 3 overall seed and takes on Binghamton at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Love’s Field on SEC Network.

Norman Regional Schedule

Friday
Game 1: Binghamton vs. OU, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Game 2: Michigan vs. Kansas, 5 p.m. (ESPNU)

Saturday
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m.

Sunday
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 2 p.m.
Game 7: *If Necessary, 4:30 p.m.

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